The invention relates to magazines and more particularly to magazines suitable for containing jacketed magnetic disks (which may be termed "diskettes") of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,668,658 and holding series of the diskettes in spaced vertical disposition.
Article carrying trays have previously been proposed, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,668, having vertical partitions for holding mail, for example, in vertical disposition separated into bundles defined by the partitions. It has also been proposed that bails be utilized in connection with a container having an open top, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,018, with the bails being swingable over the top open end of the container for holding the contents of the container in place. Such receptacles, however, are not suitable for use for holding a series of diskettes in vertical disposition and would not allow horizontal movement of the diskettes out of the receptacle while they remain vertical and would not support the diskettes on their top and bottom edges and do not provide releasable locking means for preventing diskettes from sliding out of the receptacle.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved magazine which is particularly suitable for holding magnetic diskettes in vertical spaced dispositions, which has one open end for movement of the diskettes out of the magazine and which has releasable locking means for the diskettes effective particularly adjacent their lower edges for preventing the diskettes from being withdrawn or sliding out of the magazine when this is not required. It is a more particular object of the invention to provide a locking means which constitutes a spring wire imbedded in the bottom of the magazine and having a medial portion that extends across the lower portion of the opening of the magazine for releasably preventing the diskettes from moving out of the magazine.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved diskette magazine having internal grooves for receiving the upper and lower edges of the diskettes with the grooves for the lower edges being of less width than the grooves for the upper edges whereby to provide for diskettes which may be slightly warped about vertical axes while maintaining the diskettes accurately registered at their lower edges.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved diskette magazine which holds the upper and lower edges of the diskettes apart by means of spaced ribs and which includes a rear panel that is smooth, plane and unribbed so that diskettes having slight warps about vertical axes may be moved fully into the magazine without impedance.